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Swallowed Star #1.1
Awakening in the Night
Year 2056, in a city in the Yuan Jiang Su Jin area. On top of a ruined, shattered six story residential apartment sits a teenager wearing a combat vest, militaristic trousers, and alloyed battle boots. On his back is a hexagonal shield and equipped is a blood-shadow battle knife. He sits there silently on the edge of the roof. At this time, the sparkling sky was shining and there was a refreshing breath within the air that blew towards him. However, there was only silence within the ruined, deserted city, with an occasional howl that makes your heart skip a beat.
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About the author
Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi
342 books61 followersAssociated Names:
* Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi
* I Eat Tomatoes (English)
* 我吃西红柿 (Chinese)
* หว่อชือซีหงสื้อ (Thai)
* Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi
* I Eat Tomatoes (English)
* 我吃西红柿 (Chinese)
* หว่อชือซีหงสื้อ (Thai)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 17, 2016
Story is exquisite. The characters are vivid. World building is marvelous. Overall, the book gave me a really good first impression.
April 29, 2016
When I started reading it, I had no idea what to expect. I was thinking it might be one thing, having read some of the author's other works, but NOPE. Totally wrong, and thoroughly pleased by it. Swallowed Star is an excellent series. Not the best by the author, in my opinion, but still an excellent series.
Think of a hybrid between Chrome Shelled Regios and The Irregular at Magic Highschool.
In Swallowed Star, all of humanity is confined to several different cities, as the rest of the world has been taken over by mutated creatures. (Much like in CSR). In Swallowed Star, there are 3 main groups of people: Civilians - people that go about their day, living a somewhat regular life, Military Personnel, and Fighters - people that train their bodies and minds as they progress to greater levels of ability. There are a subsect of Fighters called Spirit Readers that can use Telekinesis.
The division of classes I find very similar to both CSR and IMH, but for Fighters, their training and classification is similar to IMH's system. In IMH everyone has different grades of competency and capability in regards to magic, A is the best, and subsequent letters are progressively worse. Someone that is a C might be able to beat a B, but it generally doesn't happen. At least, if memory serves correctly.
Swallowed Star follows one youth (Luo Feng), as he grows from minuscule to badass, and all the trials and tribulations in between.
The fight scenes are pretty decent, the story is alright. I definitely recommend it, it trumps many other books I've read, but compared to IET's other works, it isn't his best.
Think of a hybrid between Chrome Shelled Regios and The Irregular at Magic Highschool.
In Swallowed Star, all of humanity is confined to several different cities, as the rest of the world has been taken over by mutated creatures. (Much like in CSR). In Swallowed Star, there are 3 main groups of people: Civilians - people that go about their day, living a somewhat regular life, Military Personnel, and Fighters - people that train their bodies and minds as they progress to greater levels of ability. There are a subsect of Fighters called Spirit Readers that can use Telekinesis.
The division of classes I find very similar to both CSR and IMH, but for Fighters, their training and classification is similar to IMH's system. In IMH everyone has different grades of competency and capability in regards to magic, A is the best, and subsequent letters are progressively worse. Someone that is a C might be able to beat a B, but it generally doesn't happen. At least, if memory serves correctly.
Swallowed Star follows one youth (Luo Feng), as he grows from minuscule to badass, and all the trials and tribulations in between.
The fight scenes are pretty decent, the story is alright. I definitely recommend it, it trumps many other books I've read, but compared to IET's other works, it isn't his best.
August 12, 2018
A fantastic book with great world building
March 25, 2022
Epic Worldbuilding and plot, superb character growth, a typical Chinese web novel with the Xianxia elements.
The review is for all the 32 Volumes (light novels), that is 1486 Chapters. This is a fan-translated novel from Chinese to English. This is one of the better-translated web novels, did feel this is the case for all the books by this author, also his books seem to get published in paperback, get adopted to anime and manga. I also personally started reading the book after seeing the animation seasons for the series and wanting more of the storyline.
I had read other series by the same author, felt this one is as good as others, although truth be told they all seem to follow the same standard formula and feel recycled just with some cosmic changes. Binge reading them is not fun but luckily I came to this one after a break of one year.
This time around the setting is a post-apocalypse Earth with Godzilla-style creatures, later we get introduced to a whole horde of aliens creatures and space travel.
Like all his other books this one has Epic world-making, weak characters becoming overpowering due to hard work and lots of luck encounters, another thing I liked is the non-harem world. We have plenty of fun adventures making for a light read.
The review is for all the 32 Volumes (light novels), that is 1486 Chapters. This is a fan-translated novel from Chinese to English. This is one of the better-translated web novels, did feel this is the case for all the books by this author, also his books seem to get published in paperback, get adopted to anime and manga. I also personally started reading the book after seeing the animation seasons for the series and wanting more of the storyline.
I had read other series by the same author, felt this one is as good as others, although truth be told they all seem to follow the same standard formula and feel recycled just with some cosmic changes. Binge reading them is not fun but luckily I came to this one after a break of one year.
This time around the setting is a post-apocalypse Earth with Godzilla-style creatures, later we get introduced to a whole horde of aliens creatures and space travel.
Like all his other books this one has Epic world-making, weak characters becoming overpowering due to hard work and lots of luck encounters, another thing I liked is the non-harem world. We have plenty of fun adventures making for a light read.
August 15, 2016
As expected of I Eat Tomatoes. Brilliantly done. Good world building and character development.
March 17, 2022
I read to chapter 1200/~1500.
4 stars (really liked) for the first 800 chapters
2 stars (okay) from 800 to 1100
1 star (disliked) from 1100 onward
Characters:
Very one-dimensional. They get even shallower as the book goes on. Though the book starts off with side characters, the author soon drops most of them, randomly bringing some of them back in for a couple hundred words every few hundred chapters. For example, we didn't hear about a guy for 800 chapters and then he popped in to say hi to the mc before leaving. Feels very inorganic.
World:
It's fine. Not annoying. It makes sense, and doesn't have too many levels like some other books.
Story:
This is the make or break. I liked it at the start. It was the usual "power up, slap enemies, look awesome, power up more..." that everyone knows. However, around chapter 1000 the mc no longer is being pushed to grow. He could really just go sit in a cave safely and become OP after a few trillion years like everyone else does. Around here the author also stops making the mc seem awesome, instead just showing him getting more powerful by his lonesome self. The mc throws himself into ever more dangerous regions as if he has brain damage. He also stumbles across too many treasures to the point where even I, lord of turning off my brain to consume hundreds of hours of garbage, can't stand it. Honestly, don't bother reading it. Just go read something that I gave a higher rating to and which has the same tags.
4 stars (really liked) for the first 800 chapters
2 stars (okay) from 800 to 1100
1 star (disliked) from 1100 onward
Characters:
Very one-dimensional. They get even shallower as the book goes on. Though the book starts off with side characters, the author soon drops most of them, randomly bringing some of them back in for a couple hundred words every few hundred chapters. For example, we didn't hear about a guy for 800 chapters and then he popped in to say hi to the mc before leaving. Feels very inorganic.
World:
It's fine. Not annoying. It makes sense, and doesn't have too many levels like some other books.
Story:
This is the make or break. I liked it at the start. It was the usual "power up, slap enemies, look awesome, power up more..." that everyone knows. However, around chapter 1000 the mc no longer is being pushed to grow. He could really just go sit in a cave safely and become OP after a few trillion years like everyone else does. Around here the author also stops making the mc seem awesome, instead just showing him getting more powerful by his lonesome self. The mc throws himself into ever more dangerous regions as if he has brain damage. He also stumbles across too many treasures to the point where even I, lord of turning off my brain to consume hundreds of hours of garbage, can't stand it. Honestly, don't bother reading it. Just go read something that I gave a higher rating to and which has the same tags.
December 30, 2021
Interesting Science fiction, post-apocalyptic world,version of the typical cultivation webnovels. The worldbuilding is very good,exciting for post-apocalyptic near future of 2056. The bleak future of humanity,the setting makes the main character,the people of this world different compared to the fantasy type of cultivation novels. The world,the type of classes the suriviving humans live in is almost more interesting than the power,the growth of the hero.
June 22, 2024
Kinda reading the whole series at once, and it's pretty darn good - some books better than others, but all with decent story and character building. Less (but non-zero) racism/sexism/anti-queer stuff than a lot of light novels in this genera.
September 22, 2021
Idk it was a book
March 16, 2022
Not bad , a bit childish and rushed
November 17, 2022
Well, this book is very interesting at the start. However, as it progresses, there isn't much suspense anymore. Things also start to get repetitive and boring afterwards ):
Did not finish
April 11, 2025The translation quality was really rough.
May 30, 2024
tl;dr - this series is so different. The world the author creates really is amazing. However, that’s it. The plot and character development are nonexistent. The pacing is horrid. This series left me totally unsatisfied. The series ends with such an open-ended ending that it seems like there’s going to be a sequel. There isn’t. So after 29 volumes, 1486 chapters, I’m left feeling a void and like I wasted so much. I know that’s a strong thing to say but it’s my honest take. This series had so much going for it that it crumbled under the weight of its own worldbuilding. It was fun while it lasted though.
Note: I updated this review as I read the series instead of reviewing each book.
Notes from the beginning of the story
I started reading this series after catching up with the Donghua (animated series based on the books).
Overall, the plot is very simple. Our main character, Lou Feng, wants to become a fighter first to make money for his family, then to protect his family from other fighters, and then to protect Earth from powerful alien civilizations. It’s simple but still entertaining for me. The book has better pacing than the show imo.
The character development is also pretty simple. Lou Feng doesn’t really go through emotional “growth.” What we see is his physical growth. He remains the same filial person from the beginning. If anything we see him further double down on his beliefs and morals.
The best thing about this series is the worldbuilding. It’s so unique. While pieces may seem familar, the picture created is something I’ve never witnessed before and I love it. The sci fi/fantasy mix is one of my favorites. It’s like Ilona Andrews Innkeeper series.
I’m enjoying it so far, also thank God the author has a diverse cast of characters. I do wish there were more women in leadership/powerful roles. The show does a better job of being gender inclusive. I’m loving the racial diversity too.
Notes after Book #23 Chapter 1158
The worldbuilding is great but there’s almost too much worldbuilding. I believe it’s because the series suffers from its lack of plot and character development.
If the series had a better structured plot, there’d be a sense of completion. You’d be satisfied because you could see the cycles of conflict, growth, and resolution. However, this series lacks that cycle. The ebb and flow of conflict, growth, and resolution. Instead we are just given more worldbuilding.
For example, throughout the series Lou Feng collects weapons, techniques, and other forms of power to defeat the various challenges he faces. This works when the setting is constrained but because the setting grows from Earth to the Black Dragon Kingdom, then the Ganwu Empire, then to the Virtual Universe Company, and even to outside of the universe, he’s picking up and throwing out techniques left and right. We see him working super hard to learn one technique and before he’s even 60% complete, he’s thrown it out for something else. There is no resolution, so it kinda feels annoying. I’m investing time reading this but then it almost feels like my time is being wasted by the author. I’m not satisfied. There’s no resolution, it’s almost like “yep forget all that shit and here’s some new shit to learn.”
The same is said for Lou Feng’s character development. Despite the many changes and challenges he goes through, he’s essentially the same person throughout the story. He doesn’t go through grief and all of his conflicts stem from really basic places. When the series was focused on Earth, it worked. We saw the various of conflicts that arose from the different monsters that attacked humanity. But as the series explores the cosmos it starts to feel like a gimmick. There are tournaments and competitions, which are fine but low key boring. Then folks start killing others for their treasures, which is so boring. Legit my first thought was “y’all ain’t got nothing better to do. Y’all don’t wanna see your family? Take care of your domains? Okay….”
I love the world that’s been created but unfortunately the lack of support from a plot or character development leads to a poorly written story.
Also if you’re reading the English translation be prepared for the written sound effects 😂
Notes now that I’ve finished the series:
Ok, so now that I’ve finished the series. It seems the author really went wild with the world building but the plot seems like it didn’t know where it was going. It was a fun ride but the lack of plot and character development, ruined the pacing and made it less enjoyable. Also, the series ends like there’s going to be a sequel series but there isn’t. So it’s incredibly unsatisfying.
Note: I updated this review as I read the series instead of reviewing each book.
Notes from the beginning of the story
I started reading this series after catching up with the Donghua (animated series based on the books).
Overall, the plot is very simple. Our main character, Lou Feng, wants to become a fighter first to make money for his family, then to protect his family from other fighters, and then to protect Earth from powerful alien civilizations. It’s simple but still entertaining for me. The book has better pacing than the show imo.
The character development is also pretty simple. Lou Feng doesn’t really go through emotional “growth.” What we see is his physical growth. He remains the same filial person from the beginning. If anything we see him further double down on his beliefs and morals.
The best thing about this series is the worldbuilding. It’s so unique. While pieces may seem familar, the picture created is something I’ve never witnessed before and I love it. The sci fi/fantasy mix is one of my favorites. It’s like Ilona Andrews Innkeeper series.
I’m enjoying it so far, also thank God the author has a diverse cast of characters. I do wish there were more women in leadership/powerful roles. The show does a better job of being gender inclusive. I’m loving the racial diversity too.
Notes after Book #23 Chapter 1158
The worldbuilding is great but there’s almost too much worldbuilding. I believe it’s because the series suffers from its lack of plot and character development.
If the series had a better structured plot, there’d be a sense of completion. You’d be satisfied because you could see the cycles of conflict, growth, and resolution. However, this series lacks that cycle. The ebb and flow of conflict, growth, and resolution. Instead we are just given more worldbuilding.
For example, throughout the series Lou Feng collects weapons, techniques, and other forms of power to defeat the various challenges he faces. This works when the setting is constrained but because the setting grows from Earth to the Black Dragon Kingdom, then the Ganwu Empire, then to the Virtual Universe Company, and even to outside of the universe, he’s picking up and throwing out techniques left and right. We see him working super hard to learn one technique and before he’s even 60% complete, he’s thrown it out for something else. There is no resolution, so it kinda feels annoying. I’m investing time reading this but then it almost feels like my time is being wasted by the author. I’m not satisfied. There’s no resolution, it’s almost like “yep forget all that shit and here’s some new shit to learn.”
The same is said for Lou Feng’s character development. Despite the many changes and challenges he goes through, he’s essentially the same person throughout the story. He doesn’t go through grief and all of his conflicts stem from really basic places. When the series was focused on Earth, it worked. We saw the various of conflicts that arose from the different monsters that attacked humanity. But as the series explores the cosmos it starts to feel like a gimmick. There are tournaments and competitions, which are fine but low key boring. Then folks start killing others for their treasures, which is so boring. Legit my first thought was “y’all ain’t got nothing better to do. Y’all don’t wanna see your family? Take care of your domains? Okay….”
I love the world that’s been created but unfortunately the lack of support from a plot or character development leads to a poorly written story.
Also if you’re reading the English translation be prepared for the written sound effects 😂
Notes now that I’ve finished the series:
Ok, so now that I’ve finished the series. It seems the author really went wild with the world building but the plot seems like it didn’t know where it was going. It was a fun ride but the lack of plot and character development, ruined the pacing and made it less enjoyable. Also, the series ends like there’s going to be a sequel series but there isn’t. So it’s incredibly unsatisfying.
October 3, 2016
One of the best character buildup, and quite an over powered protagonist, as is expected from IET.
Read
October 6, 2016Awesome. What you would expect from a IET novel in a future/post apocalyptic setting.
August 16, 2018
Website : qidian china
Views : 85.11 million
Rating : 8.1(12257)
Chapters : 1542
Status : completed
Word count : 4.77 million
author rank : platinum
Views : 85.11 million
Rating : 8.1(12257)
Chapters : 1542
Status : completed
Word count : 4.77 million
author rank : platinum
August 26, 2019
A great nove.
November 30, 2019
Good start, pretty disappointing ending
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews